The “F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Concurrency Quick Look Review” claimed the flaw meant that the “arrestor” hook, used to stop the plane during landing, was too close to the plane’s wheels.

When a fighter lands on an aircraft carrier an arrestor cable catches the hook on the back of the aircraft, preventing it from overshooting and ditching into the sea.

The documents warn of "major consequences" to the aircraft’s structure and cast doubt on the readiness of the JSF to provide close-air support, which is seen as critical to a carrier’s role in providing amphibious landings.

The review further suggests the planes will be unable to fire the British Asraam air-to-air missile.

It adds that the F-35C remains untested in several areas, concluding that "there is a high likelihood of future failures that are not yet identified".

The report, seen by the Sunday Times newspaper, concludes that unless a "significant redesign" of the aircraft is urgently completed the future of the aircraft is at risk.

If such a redesign is proven to be too costly or difficult to implement, it warns that the entire F-35C programme may have to be scrapped.

Britain is due to buy around 50 aircraft at a total cost of about £5 billion but senior Navy sources admitted last night that on current budget, the MoD will have just six available by 2020.

They also told The Daily Telegraph that the flaws could place the entire JSF programme in jeopardy amid fears it could be axed all together despite billions of pounds spent by the British and American governments and other “partner nations”.

They further suggested that the flaws could also have major implications for the Royal Air Force and its manned fighter programmes. Labour called on the government to “come clean on the full impact of the defence review”.

Jim Murphy, the shadow defence secretary, said: "An island nation like ours should be able to operate aeroplanes from an aircraft carrier.

"The government must come clean on the full impact of the defence review. It's essential we know how long we will be without carrier strike capability."

On Sunday night a Ministry of Defence spokesman declined to comment on the leaked report.

But he added that Philip Hammond, the Defence Secretary, met his American counterpart, Leon Panetta, during a visit to Washington last month to “discuss a number of issues including the joint Strike Fighter”.

"We are taking delivery of our first Joint Strike Fighters for test and evaluation purposes this year and are committed to purchasing the carrier variant of the JSF,” he said.

“Our plans remain on track to have a new carrier strike capability from around 2020.”